Ciro entered the bartending world in an unusual way, something that he initially believed was a setback: “I always felt that I was way behind colleagues of the same age, that I’d arrived at the party way too late”. Now, older and maybe wiser, he sees the great opportunity he was given and how much his studies have benefited his impressive career, in 2014 being announced Dutch World Class Bartender of the Year.

Born and raised in Napoli as the youngest of four siblings, Ciro Adriano de Georgio was studying the science of communication before making the switch to bartending.

“I dreamt of working in the advertising world, maybe as a graphic designer. Instead, my family business in Ischia was turned into a cocktail bar and club by my father and elder brother, which signalled a turning point in my life,” he explained.

Having no previous bar experience or knowledge, he rolled up his sleeves and started studying, in particular reading books: “Joy of Mixology from G. Regan was amongst the most inspirational,” he shared. In addition to this, he took both a flair and sommelier course, and it was through submersing himself in the industry that he realised his passion for bartending.

“Sadly, in 2010, Ciro lost his father, who he credits as one of the “few people that inspired and influenced” him the most, alongside his brother Bruno, Erik Lorincz (now the head bartender at The Savoy, London) and mentor Andrew Nicholls.

Ciro’s cocktail is inspired by the year 1839, “as it was the year that the construction of a pedal-driven bicycle, by Kirkpatrick Macmillan was complete,” explained Ciro. “Living in Amsterdam I owe a lot to this device. For me, it is much more than just a transportation vehicle, it is a cultural heritage, a national pride that keeps the country moving and fit at the same time.”

As for the ingredients, they are all connected to this story. Cherry Heering, as with the Netherlands, has a strong history related to trading and the colonial period.

“My tribute to the cherry liquor is also a tribute to some of the incredible spices that come from some amazing countries in Asia and their history and culture that is also a part of the Dutch heritage today,” he said. “Overall, my cocktail is a homage to what we as a country are today: a multicultural society composed (just like a good cocktail) and balanced by several ingredients from all around the world that come together to create something unique.”

On Ciro’s own journey along the famed spice route can his fondest memory of Cherry Heering. Backpacking across Istanbul through Sri Lanka and on to Singapore, he rolled up to the bar at the Raffles, there to order the ubiquitous Singapore Sling.

“As a bartender I’d heard so many stories about this place, one of the “holy locations” of the cocktail industry, like La Boteguida and el Floridita in Cuba, the Cipriani in Venice, and so on. I remember finally walking in this marvelous colonial building, climbing a flight of stairs to reach the bar and walking in this beautiful room where the time seemed flowing at a different pace.’

‘Everything was kind of magical, the music, the atmosphere, the classy interior design.

I pulled up at the bar and ordered the famous Singapore Sling; with its ½ ounce of Cherry Heering.’

Having seen many trends come and go throughout his extensive career, Ciro has, in particular, noticed the newfound popularity of classic cocktails, such as Negroni’s and manhattans – something he’s excited to see. “As well as this, I’ve noticed a surge in customers ordering modern classics such as the Penicillin, Trinidad Sours and Paper Plane,” he continued.

“I think this is because our travelling is far easier nowadays and so patrons pick up drinks trends from their travels and order them when they return home. I also think social media has played a part in this – when people see exotic drinks on their news feeds they’re far more inclined to try them out themselves.”

Another element of the ever-changing bartending industry that pleases Ciro is the shift in attention from one side of the bar to the other – from the person in front of the bar, the guest, to the person behind the bar, the ‘star-tender’.

“I’d love to see this continue. I think our profession along with all others deserves respect and to be honoured not just by those in our industry, but by those that are not a part of it too,” he explained. “That being said, we need to keep in mind that it is not about us, we are the servant if you will. We are there to create unforgettable memories, to give our guests an experience; something that will make them feel better and maybe happier too.”

“Someone told me years ago: “Hospitality… the clue is in the name!” I use this as my motto; to remind myself how important is to be hospitable. If you’re not, you should work in a different business!”

1974 was a bittersweet year for Greece, says Aris Chatziantoniou, the leading light of molecular mixology in Athens and co-owner of MoMix Bar. First came crisis, as Turkey, Greece’s historic rival, invaded the little island nation of Cyprus, sparking fears of war. Next came joy, as the military dictatorship that had ruled Greece crumbled and democracy returned to the country that invented both the concept and the word.

“After seven years of dictatorship and the fear about the war, people had not been allowed to go out, not allowed to drink alcohol till late,” Chatziantoniou says. “But once the Greeks knew we were going to have political parties and democracy, then bars started to open late and the people started drinking again.”

Holding Onto H, his anniversary cocktail, which he serves with the glass held in a mannequin’s hand, captures not only the celebrations of that year but its bittersweet nature. “The whole experience of the drink is bitter, like the start of the year 1974, but you still have the sweet sensation because there are good things coming,” Chatziantoniou explains. “You get all the sweetness and the cherry, and then you get the most bitter taste from the herbs and the botanicals.”

The H in the name? That could stand for Hellas (Greek for ‘Greece’) – or Heering. Signature Greek elements run from the mastiha bubbles served on the side to the lemon balm and Greek sage infused in the vermouth; Heering’s distinctive cherry notes figure in both the liquid and the bubbles.

The turbulent ebb and flow of Greece’s recent history has shaped cocktail culture just as much as it has shaped family life or architecture. Born in Athens, Chatziantoniou started washing glasses in a bar aged 18, and has been bartending since the late 90s, mainly in Greece. For him, the financial crisis of 2007-2008, which sparked the debt crisis that has shaped Greek life for the last decade, also helped drive the creativity of Athens’ famously inventive cocktail scene.

“2007, 2008 was the beginning of the economic crisis. People weren’t going out a lot, so when they did go out, they wanted to have something different, not a vodka and coke, not a whisky and ginger ale, but something innovative,” he says. “At the same time, with the crisis there were loads of journalists writing about what’s going on in Greece. When you have journalists, they drink a lot, they go out a lot, and when they were seeing new drinks and innovative cocktails, one thing led to another.”

When Chatziantoniou opened MoMix with his business partner Thodoris Koutsovoulos, it was 2012, close to the peak of the debt crisis. The Greek economy was shrinking at over 6% per year, with unemployment at over 20%. Opening any bar was a bold move. Opening a bar dedicated to the fine art of molecular mixology – time-consuming drinks that often require expensive kit and accessories – seemed crazy.

Not to Chatziantoniou, however. “First of all, I thought it was a really good idea: if you believe the idea is a good idea, you keep doing it,” he says. “I believe that no matter what happens around you, if you’re really sincere and really truthful about what you’re doing, you’re always going to have good results.”

Chatziantoniou fell in love with the idea of molecular mixology in the mid-aughts. His friends were starting to progress in flair bartending (Cherry Heering was popular, he recalls, because the square, flat base was easy to work with), and he was looking for something different. “I did a couple of courses and I realised there were so many interesting things behind molecular gastronomy,” he recalls. “I found that when we combine chemistry with alcohol and the consumer, then you can create amazing experiences for the people you’re hosting.”

Today, Chatziantoniou’s drinks are sufficiently technical and his lab well-enough equipped for him to present at the University of Athens. But whether he’s carbonating cocktails with dry ice or creating an alcoholic macaron with many layers of flavours and viscosity, it’s the guest, not the science, that’s at the heart of what he does.

“People think molecular mixology has to do with foams and jellies, but it has a whole lot to do with the psychology of the consumer – and the more information you have, the closer you can get to the consumer and give them what they want,” he says. “When you’re making a macaron, it’s not just making a macaron that’s alcohol based, but creating experiences, changing what people think when they bite into it.” And whether what greets them is the bitter aromatics of Fernet Branca or the sweet viscosity of a cherry-filled mastiha bubble, it’s always an experience to remember.

Handing Over H

3 cl Heering

3 cl dry vermouth infused with Greek herbs

1 cl fernet Branca

0.5 homemade spicy liqueur

2 dash of salt solution (1 part salt, 6 water)

2 dash black walnut bitter

Garnish: Served on a side with masticha bubbles, (spherify the masticha using alginate and calcium lactate), injected with Heering and sprayed with grapefruit zest

The year Jerry Thomas released his first bartenders guide and a humble home in Malasana was built. 1862 is a landmark year for cocktails, and the namesake of one of Madrid’s finest cocktail bars, 1862 Dry Bar, the brainchild of Alberto Martinez.

Alberto Martinez began his bartending career a little differently to most. Having studied industrial engineering and then going on to work as an engineer for 12 years, the economic crisis in Spain led him to pack up his bags and instead travel the world. Finding himself in what he describes as “the middle of a big crisis,” he happily stumbled upon work in a small, cosy gin and vodka shop.

It was here that a love for bartending grew. The spirits shop differed from most by offering clients an experience, as well as tastings of the classics such as martinis and gimlets. It was through this work that Alberto discovered that he loved the hospitality, serving people a drink and really engaging with guests who walked through the shop doors. After two years, he was presented with the opportunity to rent a bigger place and in that space decided to open his first bar, 1862 Dry Bar.

“I never had a ‘special’ moment or a discovery,” Alberto said, of his newfound career; “it happened very gradually.”

Having selected the year 1862 as the inspiration behind his cocktail, Alberto explains his two reasons for doing so – both of which stem from the bar he both owns and works in – 1862 Dry Bar. Named after the year it was built, this is the same year that the first Bartenders Guide by Jerry Thomas was published.

Being Spanish, Alberto is a huge fan of the classic sherry cobbler – both the drink and its history, which stems from the 19th Century during America’s cocktail boom. Wanting to create a modern twist on a classic drink from the year 1862, the sherry cobbler fits the bill perfectly.

“I worked with the punchy flavour of the original Sherry Cobbler and introduced Cherry Heering, as well as a range of other flavours that I felt paired really well with the spirit, including whisky and orange and came up with my own take on the classic cocktail,” he explained.

Classic cocktails have made a huge revival of late, “in particular classic cocktails with a twist,” said Alberto. Something that he finds very exciting. Relatively new to the industry, he has already noticed a shift in drinks trends. “Initially, a lot of clients were asking for Highballs (there was a huge gin & tonic craze in Spain), but that is continuously changing. Now it’s mostly cocktails that we serve”.

“Spanish people are becoming more interested in them. As well as this, we have a few regulars that come back to our bar time and time again for our speciality drinks”.

A cocktail trend he has noticed in particular of late is the surge in use of whisky (American, Scottish, Japanese and even Irish), a spirit he himself loves to experiment with.

The element of the bartending industry that is most important to Alberto and one that he loves the most is hospitality. “I think hospitality is something that can always be improved upon in the industry. For me, receiving people into my bar is what I love”, he said.

“Some come for a drink, some just love the place and others want to enjoy a moment, talk about life and enjoy some drinks,” he continued. Taking on the role of what they expect and delivering it is what excites and motivates Alberto the most.

“I believe that to better hospitality industry-wide, we must all study cocktails, create a great bar team and work alongside them to constantly improve and develop our work, which includes designing new menus, working alongside brands that are aligned with our values, meeting likeminded others in the industry and most importantly, hospitality, so that every patron that walks through our doors feels taken care of and enjoys their time in our bar.”

And finally, a Cheery Hearing memory for the ages; a tasting conducted by Leo Robitschek in Madrid. Alberto recalls…”That day I really learnt to appreciate more details of the liqueur, and I remember especially that day because I met Leo and Adele Robberstad, I even had the opportunity to have lunch with them. It was such a special time”.

There are few spirit brands that have the honor of celebrating two centuries in business. Cherry Heering will do just that in 2018, marking the milestone by creating something grand and magical, historic and nostalgic. They asked revered bartenders around the world to choose a year in history. To look back as they all toast together to 200 more years to come.

For acclaimed bartender Grant Sceney––a Melbourne, Australia-born chap who’s currently behind-the-stick in Vancouver, British Columbia at both Lobby Lounge and Botanist inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel––1920 holds a special importance that just might surprise fans of craft libations.

Mention the year “1920” to most craft cocktail bartenders and you’re likely to hear first about the detested Noble Experiment. Prohibition officially that began that year and horribly soldiered on until 1933’s merciful Repeal Day.

It was not the scourge of Prohibition, however, that popped to mind for Sceney. It was the brilliance of a hockey team and a Winter Olympics that drew him in.

“I moved to Canada at the end of 2009 to travel and work abroad during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver,” Sceney offers. “I grew up playing team sports, and I have never seen a city erupt in the way Vancouver did when Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal to get Canada the Gold Medal in Ice Hockey on home ice. This was a memory I hold close as it was a great induction and representation of Canada’s culture. This led me to look at when hockey was first played at the Olympics, and, ironically, it was played first in 1920, in the summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. And, Canada took the Gold Medal.”

He created his bright, refreshing Falcon Swizzle––a nod to the winning Olympic team being the Winnipeg Falcons––using equal parts Canadian Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye whisky and Cherry Heering. It has a topping of Duval––a Belgian Golden Ale selected to represent Antwerp––and acidulated orange juice, which he makes from 100ml of fresh juice mixed with a barspoon of citric acid. Given a gentle swizzle, so not to disrupt the carbonation of the beer, it’s served like a classic swizzle, over a column of crushed ice inside of a Collins glass. Sceney garnishes the drink with a tuft of mint and a dehydrated lemon slice.

“I looked to create a drink that would evoke the experience of being at an ice hockey match in summer,” he explains, “so I served it tall––on one ice––and refreshing. Pulling together Canadian rye whisky, and lengthening it with a Belgian golden ale, the cherry notes are prominent and enhanced with the acidulated orange juice. One of my favorite classics is the Blood & Sand. The orange, cherry, and whisky combination is a comforting and enticing balance.”

While it’s great to look back, Sceney is ultimately most excited by looking forward, where the hospitality industry is concerned.

“I’m excited about the how much closer the bar and kitchen have become,” he says. “A decade ago, it wasn’t as common to have them so in sync. By working closer together, the bar and kitchen are more sustainable in ingredients and techniques, and also the quality is much higher. As bartending is now recognized as a profession, it’s attracting people to the craft that are talented, creative and excited to push boundaries in the industry.

When pressed further as to that turbulent year of 1920, Sceney says he would go back for the day, just to watch that famous moment in Antwerp when Canada took home the Gold, but not for the lifestyle.

“I actually don’t think I would want to,” he says. “I am very happy living in Vancouver and the direction of the bar culture globally. As inspiring as it would be to meet the past giants, and live in periods where the events that have shaped the world, I am happy to be a part of the current progression. We might currently live in the period when people look back in 50 years and say, ‘I wished I lived in Vancouver back then.’ Also,” he laughs, “it’s tough enough keeping ice machines and dishwashers running in the current day. I wouldn’t want to have to deal with those issues using the plumbing of the past. Or, not even have access to it at all.”

Born & raised in Calabria Italy, Max moved to London at the age of 23 to start working as a barista, at a small bar called Bank. After working Bank for 10 months under the guidance of Grant Collins, he moved onto Zander in London for 6 years. In 2006 Max moved to Sydney and was fortunate to work in a few of the best bars Australia had to offer including; Zeta Bar, Bayswater Brasserie and Eau De Vie. Max is now the proud owner, drummer and captain of his own bar, Vasco, in Sydney’s Surry Hills where Rock N’ Roll shares centre stage with crafted cocktails and a legendary party atmosphere.

Max chose 1989 as a year from the history of Cherry Heering not because of steely guns and cherry red roses. “Well, 1989 it is special to me in terms of cocktails because at the end of 1989 Tommy DeMayo (father of my great friend Julio DeMayo) created the Tommy’s Margarita in San Francisco, California. Tommy’s Restaurant en Cantina has been open since 1965 and they’re still celebrating 50 years!”

“Apart from being one of my top 3 favourite cocktails ever, it is the first cocktail where agave nectar or agave syrup, whatever you want to call it, was first introduced into a cocktail.”

“1989 was also the year when a lot of my favourite bands started shaking off the 80’s hairspray and ushered in the new generation guitar music. Bands like Guns N Roses, Pearl Jam, Nirvana & The Red Hot Chilli Peppers provided the soundtrack to my cocktail education.”

Max is a guy who truly loves the industry and one visit to his bar gives you clues to where he sees bartending heading. “Sustainability. Zero wastage. Some of this started in London but its now being embraced all over the world, especially the United States & Australia.

“To give you a quick example, you have a bunch of mint. You use the sprig for your garnish, you use the leaves to muddle or something then you’re left with the stems. We used to throw them away. No more. Some use them to infuse spirits, some people make mint powder or some people use it to make a flavoured sugar syrup.”

“What I’m trying to say is that we try to use everything from our fruit, our veg and our herbs. We try not to waste anything. I think that’s the biggest thing at the moment. And also, I see there’s a lot of lost classic cocktails coming back. They are the ones that will get you out of trouble on a busy day. Sustainability and go back to the old bloody great cocktails!”

Max is also on a one man mission to not take himself and the industry too seriously and to re-inject good old fashioned simplicity, entertainment and fun back into the bar scene.“I don’t know. We’re all rock stars now. We all want to be someone. We’re missing the good part of the ball, which is the fun. Some places are sterile. Some are too obsessive. You can see through social media – bartenders arguing amongst themselves about recipes. These things have already been done before but now they add all sorts of mists and smoke! I wonder if the bar industry could be a little more simple. Simple and fun.”

Fun is what Max and his bar Vasco is all about. A night out with Max and Cherry Heering is a night to remember! “A couple of years ago the beautiful Adele Robberstad from Cherry Heering visited Australia and came to my bar. After a few Blood & Sand’s Adele, me and a couple of mates decided to go out for a drink. I’m like, what a great idea. Let’s go out.”

“I don’t know how but we ended up in a seriously iconic gay bar in Kings Cross called Stonewall. We were probably the only straight people in there and there was some sort of talent contest / strip show on where the winner gets $50!”

“Suddenly my legs just walked themselves on to the stage. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m turning around and everybody’s, hey, take your pants off! So, I took my pants off. Then I turned around and realised it was a competition for the best ass.” “The winner was judged by a round of applause from all these lovely people around the room and guess what? I won the fucking fifty bucks. The only straight guy in the room wins the fifty bucks! Singapore Slings are on me!”

Max continues to practice what he preaches – sustainability, simplicity, great drinks but most of all Rock N’ Roll and a $50 piece of ass!

Determination and courage are decision-making skills that come to the fore when one is called to make difficult choices, ones that can change the direction of a career and sometimes, life.

Until 2013 Nicosia, in Cyprus, was certainly not one of those places where cocktail culture was often celebrated. Mixers and spirit long drinks were the standard in local drinking. 2013 was also the year of an economic crisis that left a significant mark in the history of the island. But it was also the year when a bartender decided that it was time to make a cultural change to local drinking. Dinos Constantinides saw an opportunity in a world that was changing and seized the moment. What was formerly a school would become an elegant cocktail bar with a laboratory for experimenting with new tastes and techniques. Dinos Constantinides’ Lost & Found Bar today offers classy international drinks that are refined and sophisticated. One more reason for a trip to Nicosia.

A brave decision

“2013 was the year Cyprus fell into a serious economic recession, and during that chaotic period we decided to go for it and open our bar. It was the worst economic crisis in recent history, causing the country’s second largest bank to shut down and the largest one to impose a capital levy on all deposits. As was expected, people became reluctant to spend causing businesses to close down one after another, which is why the opening of a bar seemed like going against the odds at the time.”

How did you plan be different?

The big dilemma was, do you dilute your beliefs with regard to how drinks/cocktails should be to appeal to the market or do you differentiate and attempt to penetrate the market? Taking a bit more risk, we choose the second one and with little to almost no funds, transformed our existing bar school into a bar which was completely different to other establishments of the time, as it specialised in cocktails focusing on ingredients, techniques, garnishes, presentation, high-quality spirits, communication and other details”.–Inspired by the terroir? –“In times of recession people tend to support local businesses and Cyprus was no exception. In an effort to keep the country’s businesses running, people started buying less imported and more local goods, which is what inspired me to use beetroot – an ingredient that is locally produced and widely used in Cypriot cuisine”.

Tradition and research for new expressions of flavour

“Trends vary across the world; something that may be considered innovative in one country might already be in use elsewhere. In addition, following trends probably means you will always be a step behind, whereas knowing your guests and offering something which they will like and love, is the best thing you can do. Our philosophy is about taking commonly used ingredients, mostly local, and incorporating them with new techniques. It’s amazing to play around with a single ingredient and see how many different “expressions” you can get out of it. We have various techniques at our disposal that can help us reintroduce common flavours to our guests”.

Sharing is caring

“What I find very important for the future of our industry, is the ability to share information and tips for efficient production of homemade ingredients. It gives us the opportunity to share knowledge on various techniques that we use daily and that are still completely foreign to many others. And yes, we are already doing this through our ‘Lost + Found Exposed’ videos on our YouTube channel”.

A funny story to remember

“Until recently Cherry Heering was not distributed in Cyprus. We always try to make sure almost nothing is left out of our drinks’ collection at the bar, so we kept a couple of Heering bottles on our shelves. When Adele Nilsson Robberstad, CEO of Heering & Xanté Company, visited Lost + Found last year, we decided to celebrate by toasting with Heering when she announced that there was finally a distributor taking over the brand. So I asked one of our barbacks to pour four glasses of the liqueur. Little did I know that he accidentally picked up a bottle from our vintage collection in our private room; a rare bottle from the 1970s which of course was not there for consumption. Since it was too late to repair the damage, we had a good laugh and enjoyed the fine taste of a 47-year-old Cherry Heering, really honouring Adele’s presence there!”

The Cherry Heering Bicentenary Cocktail

“Plums are among the popular locally-grown fruits and I chose them because I find that they pair nicely and harmoniously with Heering. Champagne is the contradicting ingredient of the cocktail. I remember bartending at the private party of a wealthy family at the time and when I suggested that we serve a Champagne cocktail as a welcome drink, the hosts disagreed saying it would be offensive for such times. I have the distinctive memory of thinking that this was not the approach I would have followed, and that I had the strong belief that better times would return and so would Champagne – hence the name of the cocktail ‘Told you so’. That’s what it’s all about”.

*Beetroot oleo-saccharum: slice 500g of steamed beetroot. Add it to a vacuum-pack bag with 500g of caster sugar, peels of 3 limes and seal. Cook sous vide for 2 hours at 60˚C. Strain through a superbag.

“Here in Brazil, the year 1888 means freedom,” says Márcio Silva, owner of Guilhotina, the São Paulo bar that’s helping put Brazil on the global cocktail map. It was in 1888 that Brazil, which had brought more slaves from Africa than any other nation, finally abolished slavery”

For Silva, freedom is intrinsic to the Brazilian way of bartending. “Brazilian culture has influences from all over the globe, and my cocktails draw all those influences together,” he says. “The Brazilian way of working behind the bar is very much break all the rules.”

His Vitriol cocktail, on the menu at Guilhotina, expresses that creative liberty. “We mix everything here in Brazil,” says Silva. “We don’t go straight for the rules: we just do it in our own way. So the idea of this cocktail is a whiskey sour with fresh raspberries, ginger and Cherry Heering, topped with a Negroni.”

To break a rule successfully, of course, it helps to know the rules – and Silva had an extensive career behind him when he opened Guilhotina in December 2016. He tasted his first (virgin) cocktail aged just 13, after his dad took a job in a bar, but it was sport that brought him to Europe.

Silva represented Brazil in taekwondo as a teenager and hoped to fight at the Olympics as and when taekwondo became a medal sport. “I came to do sparring, but I couldn’t fight for money as I had to stay an amateur for the Olympics,” Silva explains. “So I started working part-time in a bar. I started at TGI Friday’s as a busboy and worked my way up to European trainer.”

Silva found himself a place on the fringes of London’s compact, friendly 1990s cocktail scene. “Dick Bradsell was working at the Atlantic Bar & Grill, and I’d go in and watch him work: I’d be at the bar and talk to him,” he recalls. “I also spent a lot of time at the LAB, watching how they interacted with the guests and the training techniques.”

Knowledge safely banked, he took a job in Marbella, working as a bartender trainer. In 2004, he helped Gorgeous Group launch Diageo’s Reserve Brands in Brazil. By 2009, Silva was ready to return home, and find a place for himself in the surging city of São Paulo, the New York to DC’s Brasilia – and a metropolis that’s home to over 20 million people.

“I spent two years in Brazil feeling like a fish out of water: I couldn’t understand my own culture,” he says. “Then I met Spike Marchant and he called me to manage the World Class final in Rio de Janeiro.”

Silva spent six months living in Rio de Janeiro, going bar to bar to prepare bartenders for the final, and managed all the bars and behind-the-scenes events; he worked for two years as global brand ambassador for Yaguara cachaça. Yet, as Brazil’s economy began to collapse in 2015, he hit a personal and professional low.

“In 2016, I received an offer to move to Singapore and work there, but I didn’t want to actually leave Brazil without trying everything I could,” says Silva. “I had dinner with my father, and he asked, ‘What have you done in Brazil that you haven’t done before?’ I said, ‘I never opened a bar to be my own bartender.’”

The very next day, synchronicity struck. “I was on my last money and I wanted to open a bar with this money, but literally the day after dinner with my dad I met Rafael [Berçot],” Silva recalls. “Rafael comes from the construction industry, and he was telling me how hard it was to sell apartments. I didn’t even say a word about opening a bar, but he said, ‘Let’s open a bar together!’”

Marcello Nazareth, the third partner in Guilhotina, came on board after the pair looked at a site he owned – and it was very much a journey of faith. “I tried to merge the friendliness of the Americans with the rituals and experience of Europeans and the discipline of Japanese,” Silva recalls. “As we’ve got so many influences from all over the globe in Brazil, I wanted to put it all together into a bar – but I couldn’t explain it. I had to say, ‘We’re going to be partners: just trust me.’”

And, it seems, that creative freedom worked. Within a year of opening, Guilhotina was a finalist for Best New International Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail, with nominations in three other categories. “If you’re doing right, the universe just pushes you in the right direction,” Silva says. “That was so great: one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had as a bartender.”

Vitriol
50 ml of Wild Turkey Bourbon Whiskey15 ml of Cherry Heering

25 ml of fresh lime juice

25 ml of home made raspberry ginger shrub

Top up with 10 ml of aged Negroni

Glass: Collins

Garnish: mint sprig

Method: Shake first 4 ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.

Top with aged Negroni

Raspberry Ginger Shrub by Márcio Silva

1kg raspberries

1kg white cristal organic sugar

50 ml of red wine vinegar

250 ml of fresh ginger juice

500 ml of water

1 bar spoon of tartaric acid

Place all the ingredients in a pan and mash them together over a low heat until syrup and all the sugar has dissolved.

He’s constantly on the run, catching planes in every airport around the world to compulsively visit all the latitudes and longitudes around the globe. If you are offered a Tiki drink in Siberia, you can be sure that Daniele Dalla Pola would have been there to spread the word of his religion, Tiki.

Anyone who enters the Nu Lounge in Bologna, Italy, will immediately know what it means to feel special. That’s because Daniele is the undisputed master in the art of hosting and making anyone who walks into his bar feels like the most important person in the world. Don’t be surprised if at the Nu Lounge you are welcomed by someone wearing a mask of the head of an elk or camel, and who invites you to mix litres of Piña Colada with him on a giant pyramid of glasses, that give off sparkling scented clouds of cinnamon. You would have just met Daniele Dalla Pola, one of the modern-day prophets of Tiki in the world.

“I still don’t know what I will do when I grow up, because I’ve forgotten what I wanted to be as a child when I grew up!” laughs Daniele while he packs his bags for the Philippines where he will trace the heirs of the “philippino guys” of Donn The Beachcomber.“But I’m pretty sure that the Singapore Sling was the first cocktail I ever made, almost 30 years ago. For me Cherry Heering is definitely the sling. I haven’t stopped since.”

A look to the future“There are two revolutions on the horizon. The all new craft spirits that are coming onto the market, and of course the tiki (r)evolution. However I think the challenge that bartending should address is a great mentoring project to prepare the new generations of bartenders. I am doing my best to make young people understand just how satisfying this job can be as long as you put the customer first and focus on making them feel comfortable in the bar. That’s why I travel the world trying to explain what’s behind bartending and the positive message it carries.

Funny story“Tiki drinks, rum, are the most social of all drinks. They represent spending good times together and fun.You can make any drink with rum: Manhattan, Negroni, Sours, Collins, everything. Rum is very versatile and however you use it, you can make a good drink. Have you ever heard of a daiquiri made with whisky or gin? Do you know of anyone who drinks a Ti’ Punch on their own?” Tiki is a cultural movement that has influenced music, clothing, cinema and the arts. Do you consider yourself a part of it? “Of course, I am a Tiki man!” So rum is one of the most entertaining parts of your life? The quiet moment he takes to think about it is broken by a contagious laugh. “My three marriages are the most entertaining part of my life!!”

The Cherry Heering Bicentenary drink

“To celebrate the Cherry Heering bicentenary, I was looking to find a nice, crisp tropical drink with a great balance of sweet spices and exotic flavours. I was won over by Tiki mixology in the mid-90s. At that time, I was in USA and most of our customers drank flavoured Vodka drinks. Personally I was already promoting rum and tequila cocktails and was getting great feedback. In the mid-90s in Miami, I started going crazy with all the tropical cocktails.“How did you get Tiki? Were you inspired by something? “I’ve always found the history and culture of the Aboriginal people of the South Pacific fascinating, their customs and the sad occurrences they had to experience at the hands of old and new colonialists. Tiki is part of their culture. Between 1995 and 1997, an inquiry was conducted in Australia on how Aboriginal children were taken from their families. They are known as the “Stolen Generation”. The final report, “Bringing Them Home” was published in 1997. One year after it was published, National Sorry Day was instituted, to create awareness around the wrongs committed against Aboriginal families and in so doing start the reconciliation process. “Sorry Day” is also in memory of the mistreatment of the indigenous Aboriginal population and not only of the children of the “Stolen Generation”.